Hoddle rejected Saints return

Former England boss may never manage again

Last updated: 23rd May 2008

Glenn Hoddle

Hoddle: No Saints return

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Glenn Hoddle has revealed that he rejected the opportunity to return to Southampton and may never manage again.

The former Chelsea, Tottenham and England boss has regularly been linked with a return to management, with Southampton thought to be keen to lure him back to St Mary's.

Hoddle claims he has rejected the advances of 'six or seven clubs' but is now focusing his attention on his 'second chance' scheme for young players dumped on the football scrapheap.

Eighteen months after the scheme's inception, Hoddle has 60 hand-picked youngsters who have completed trials at Chelsea's state-of-the-art training centre in Surrey and won a year's scholarship at his academy in the southern Spanish resort of Monticastillo.

Second chance

"I was offered the manager's job at Southampton again a little while ago and I've probably turned down six or seven jobs, some of which were internationals and ones I really had to think about," said Hoddle.

"But I had already got into this project and it is what I want to do now. I feel it is going to be a really refreshing way of working.

"I'll still be making big decisions with players but I have good people around me that I really trust and the energy is really good.

"I think giving people a second chance, talented young men, is a really worthwhile thing and now that I've started this journey I want to see if we can finish it."